Warmongers
Previous Chapter Prologue The Wandenreich castle stood tall and solemn amidst the flavorless winds of Hueco Mundo's colder, more rigid northern region. A bleak yellow horizon steadily graced the fortress-city's walls and buildings, as if it were not simply the dawn of a new day, but also the dawn of something far worse. Inside the walls of this lone structure, the Wandenreich's lower ranking soldiers and denizens, along with several higher ranking figures, were running amok. Unsure of whether to remain at their stations and continue their normal duties, or prepare themselves for the battles that they felt were sure to come following recent events. Inside of one of the larger central buildings, which acted as the primary living quarters for the Wandenreich's esteemed "Sternritter" division, one particular resident seemed remarkably calm, considering the circumstances. "I'm gonna take my time..." Asumu's living quarters, despite the more Victorian-era exterior of the fortress, resembled that of an average American apartment in regards to the interior, with but a single living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. He was a humble man, unlike many of the previous Sternritter, and never felt a need to live in overly luxurious or expensive quarters. Hell, he had spent much of his life living off of the wilderness and at best, a small log cabin in the middle of no where, so all things considered, this apartment room might as well have been a five-star hotel. A small stereo sat on his kitchen counter, playing a song that always helped Asumu think and relax when he was off duty. The song was loud enough to be heard through most of the apartment interior, but would otherwise not be heard by those in the rest of the complex. "...I have all the time in the world..." The white-haired Quincy in question had just finished cleaning himself up after his drawn-out fight with Tier Harribel. Normally, such an event would have required him to report immediately to the Wandenreich leader, Reinhild, but she and the others knew that it took a certain amount of time for Asumu to revert back to his human-self after being in his Lycanthrope state, so he was allowed this brief respite before having to face the music of his actions. He stood in front of his bathroom mirror, leaning against the sink just underneath it, staring blankly into his own reflection. He was wearing a simple pair of black jogging pants, having thrown the towel he used to dry himself over his right shoulder, but was otherwise bare, leaving the numerous scars he had obtained over the course of his life fully exposed on his back and chest area. In particular, he started to look more at the newest scar that was added to his collection; a large stab mark in his left stomach area from where the Shark Empress of Hueco Mundo had impaled him with her large, tooth-shaped sword. Fortunately, his Lycanthrope form's regeneration factor allowed this normally fatal wound to seal up quick enough to where he could walk it off without much trouble, though it was still rather sore. He couldn't help but think fondly of the battle, for opponents like her were the kind of thing that he always sought when in a good fight, but he was also inwardly glad that his voice of reason had managed to prevail; there was no telling how much worse the situation would have gotten had he not decided to retreat. Still though, he couldn't wait to pay her back. He knew that he couldn't stand here for too much longer; Reinhild had ordered him and the other, remaining Sternritter to assemble inside of their primary meeting hall as soon as they were ready, and he wouldn't bring more flak onto himself by being late. "...Fuck." He cursed lowly and with resignation, casually balling up the towel on his shoulder and tossing it into a nearby clothes hamper. He turned around to leave, ready to accept whatever punishment his leader would give him. "Have you gotten taller?" ...at least that's what he was doing, until a snarky, feminine voice emerged from behind him, stopping him dead in his tracks and causing his formerly blank expression to briefly brighten. "Casilda...?" He muttered as slowly turned around to the source of the voice, initially not seeng anyone. "...cause you look a lot taller. Maybe it's just me." Upon hearing the woman speak again, Asumu was starting to be convinced that he was going insane, as it seemed to originate from the mirror he had just finished looking at. His attention now fixated on the mirror, of which was now fogged up from excess steam generated from his previous shower, and he approached it, wiping his hand slowly across the foggy surface. Instead of seeing a reflection of himself as before, he now saw an Arrancar woman with vibrant orange eyes and raven black hair. She smiled warmly upon being fully revealed, while he only continued to stare at her in confusion. "How are you here?" He asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. "You also look like crap." She chuckled, her eyes gradually looking him over. "Didn't you just get out of the shower? How do you take a shower and still come out looking like you just got out of a fight?" "Casilda." Asumu responded firmly, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "How are you here?" The reflection's expression lowered, but still retained her smile. "Does it matter? I've wanted to see you, and you've wanted to see me, so here I am." As she spoke, her expression gradually became one of gentle concern. "... You've really stirred things up, haven't you, wolf?" "Yeah... I'm really in the shit now." He said lowly, looking away from her for just a brief moment. "... and I'm not sure just what the hell we are going to do. I'm worried things will only get worse from here on out." In response, Casilda simply chuckled, causing him to look back up at her. "That's what I love about you, wolf." She said, her voice now becoming more like an echo as the mirror began to fog up once again. "Things are never boring when you're involved." With that, the mirror fogged up completely, obscuring the woman from view. Instinctively, Asumu ran his hand back across the mirror in the opposite direction that he had done so prior, hoping to see her face one more time, but all he saw as a result were his own blue eyes instead. Surprise, sadness, and frustration were all that they conveyed as he stood at his bathroom sink once more. If he were already hesitant to leave for his debriefing before seeing his old lover again, he was especially hesitant now. ---- Having been only in the fray for mere moments, Roland Vimur had no need to return to his quarters to shower after returning to the Quincy's Hueco Mundo stronghold in that moment. Instead, he walked about the courtyard, looking upon his fellow Quincy as he awaited for Asumu to revert back to his unaltered form. While he found the wolf-like infection of Lycanthorpy, a curse upon his race, disturbing, Roland did not hold contempt for his peer for it. Roland knew that, no matter the blood purity of the member, his race was still low in numbers. Any who possessed the blood of the Quincy was welcomed by the Sternritter, a trait that is shaky amongst others throughout their history. Regardless, Roland smiled as he watched the Quincy move about. However, the fact of their numbers still be low haunted him. Add in the fact that a fellow Sternritter had just battled a Hollow monarch, Roland feared the blood that would be shed on his side should the Queen pursue war. "Even if he betrayed us, we would not have to fear such beasts if his power remained..." Roland said to himself aloud softly, thinking of the fallen Quincy king. It was no matter for now though, their numbers, while low, were strong. Ever more, Roland had his own ambitions that could lead the Quincy back to their rightful place of power when the old king had reigned. Despite this, Roland looked towards the sky as he knew it was time to get going. The Queen of the Quincy requested the Sternritter to meet. While she was, by no means, as powerful as her preceding monarch, Roland was less interested in the power of the ruler as he was in keeping their race alive. She possessed both, thankfully, but her ability to bring many of the survivors back together is why Roland served her with no complains. Turning from the Quincy scurrying about in the courtyard, Roland made his way to the royal hall. ---- Out in the far left of the courtyard was a large gathering of Quincy. In front of them was a bespectacled man dressed in priestly garb standing behind a podium. He had his hands raised towards the never ending night sky of . It was Leonardo Fromm, a Sternritter. ".....My fellow people! Do you feel it coming at our doorsteps? The time of reckoning and retribution is here! I hear the steps of our fellow kinsmen walking towards the eve of war and it is our duty to support them. Soon, they will meet the savages face-to-face. Soon, they will fight! And what shall I, as a Chosen of Yhwach, am resolved to walk amongst our kinsmen and face the terror head on! No longer shall we stand aside and watch as we await our destruction! No longer shall we wait for annihilation! We will fight for our right to stay on this land and usher in the bright and promised future we all rightly deserve! Prepare yourselves! The time is coming!" The bespectacled man in priestly garb hid a devilish grin as he finished his sermon. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, listening to the people seated in front of him roared in unison as their feverish motivation hit an all time high. "Now everyone..I adjourn this sermon for today. The Queen has called for me and for the rest of the Sternritter to meet with her and I must make haste. But before we leave, I ask of you, to reflect on my words today and take them to heart. That is all I ask. Yhwach Deliver Us." The bespectacled man said. "Yhwach Deliver Us." The assembled Quincy replied in turn. Thus, the sermon was over and the Quincy started to leave, returning to their somewhat ordinary lives in Hueco Mundo. The bespectacled man patiently stood behind the podium as he watched his congregation disperse until no one was left besides disinterested Quincy walking to their destination. Alone, Leonardo began to walk towards the Royal Hall. "My dear Reinhild, "successor" of his holiness , what is so important to call for the Sternritter?" Leonardo asked himself in reflection. ---- Cang Du’s footsteps, sharp and tense, echoed across the smooth tiles of the darkened corridor as he approached the assembly hall. Outside the central tower of the Wandenreich castle, he could hear the dull roar of a crowd of ex-soldat—no doubt enraptured by another one of that pretend priest’s vacuous speeches. He found it ironic that rumors of treachery should spread about Asumu Godai’s actions even as such obvious subversion was allowed to infect the lower ranks. To Cang Du, it was simply another sign of their so-called “Queen’s” incompetency. After all, as far as he was concerned, Asumu was the only one among the post-war Sternritter who could rival the old guard. He wasn’t sure why the Quincy had gone out of his way to attack the leader of the Vasto Lorde, but then he remembered his own battle against a certain captain of the Gotei 13. His dark eyes narrowed in thought. Was that why he had been summoned? It was well-known that Cang didn’t respect Reinhild’s authority. Perhaps he was going to be reprimanded alongside Asumu. Not that it mattered to him: She was a child parading in knight’s armor. Regardless, he suspected war was eminent. To challenge Tier Harribel was a reckless act that threatened to disrupt the nearly fifteen years of uneasy peace between the Quincy and Hollows, and it could prove to be the first test of Reinhild’s leadership. That was ultimately why they, the “Sternritter,” had been called together. Unwittingly, Cang felt a shiver across his skin—it was an unbidden expectation—the lust for battle. Cang paused before the entrance the “Royal Assembly Hall,” as it was referred to, pretentiously mimicking the throne room where once his Majesty had indicted those Quincy who proved to be disloyal to the Wandenreich. For a moment he felt uneasy—There was an uncanny similarity between Asumu’s alleged failure against Tier and that time... Cang Du placed his hand over the deep, vertical scar that ran straight down across his collarbone and into his torso. But as always, his expression was a mask of disinterest as he entered the assembly hall. Cang avoided eye contact as he passed the other Quincy who were gathered before Reinhild. They were ultimately inconsequential to him, and he assumed his position wordlessly to await the onslaught of words. ---- Screams of panic and terror raged through the cold, white sands of Hueco Mundo as Mich Farrardt made his way across the unforgiving dunes, paving his way to the Quincy Headquarters and leaving behind what horrible sight that awaited behind him. He had hoped not to face battle again soon, seeing how he was still recovering from the last one, but as fate would have it he found himself once more amidst chaos and destruction. The situation between his brethren and the detestable Hollows finally broke loose, though he himself never considered the fragile peace that had existed to actually hold. He was not the judgemental type, but he had better understanding of peace, and whatever that had been going on between his kind and the Hollows was not it. His footsteps thundered with urgency and agitation; each step he took was amplified by a certain sense of rush recognizable by those who had experienced death itself chasing after them. But Mich was not in danger. In fact, it could be said that he could level the entire battlefield, save for the current lord of the Hollows and his fellow Sternritter, especially a certain one of the lycanthrope kind. The others seemed disturbed by the presence of someone like this, but Mich couldn't care any less. After all, he had bigger problems; indeed, he may be rushing to the Royal Hall because the new leader of the Quincies required his presence, and he was not in any physical danger, but it was his mind that he feared the most: The faster he ran, the quicker he could get away from haunting memories of his deceased comrades that came like a flash flood. If even a splatter of blood was enough to submerge his consciousness into a spiralling web of endless guilt and torment over being the sole survivor of the last battle he had participated in, he didn't want to stick around to find out where his mind would take him should he bore witness to his brethren being killed. He held his right in front of his face as he ran past another of his kind preaching to a congregation, his eyes fixated upon his palm. A yellowish glow slithered across its surface, a symbol of his new power. He couldn't care less about how he viewed the controversial situation of his new leader, nor was the type of person to hover above the bigger things and judge from there. No, his resolve was simple: He lived, and though he might be suffering, he would live, and with his new power, he would continue living. For his comrades. ---- Abraham was never late for most things, which, perhaps, was his only valuable attribute to the Sternritter. It was known that he was a skilled combatant, and someone who had managed to survive both the wars against Soul Society. However, upon meeting him, most concluded that it was by some divine luck that he was kept alive all this time. Afterall, he had no real characteristics of an elite warrior. He wasn’t smart, nor witty, nor calculative like you expected a skilled Quincy soldier to be. He didn’t seem to radiate the raw talent nor battle senses of the other Sternritter. Yet, he somehow lived despite being on the front lines of every major battle. Even now, he sat as one of the first Sternritter in the Assembly hall with a jovial smile and an attentive attitude. Truth was, Abraham didn’t know much of what was happening. Though, he knew it was most likely connected to the events that unfolded between Asumu and the Arrancar Queen. Last time, it was by the grace of the gods that Abraham had managed to arrive when he did, and though they had forced Tier into a consensual retreat, there could be no peace. Rather, Abraham hoped there would be no peace. He was once a king who descended from a long line of conquerors who were blessed by the gods for their piety. For as long a she could remember, he had dedicated himself to the honing of his powers for war. Thus, war was something he felt as ease about. What came with peace was paranoia and uncertainty. War was simple. There were no petty politics or roundabout ways to gain control. It simply subjugation by force, and if it was anything that Abraham had devoted centuries of time towards, it was his might. Therefore, he sat in his chair idle, wearing a smile as if he was a playful child and awaited the entrance of his comrades. ---- Dreiter Weirabe, a Sternritter with stark white hair, decked in complete Quincy attire and a single monocle, was returning from his post on the terrace of the Quincy hideout in Hueco Mundo. He was a watchman, whose sniping abilities enabled him to view threats from a considerable distance away. Throughout the entire conflict between Asumu and Tier Harribel, Dreiter's spiritual senses were tingled, but he was unable to determine the point of conflict and who was fighting. He placed a finger on his monocle, and tried to calm his breath. Hyper conflict situations like these added considerable stress to him, and he had to ensure he was calm so he could perform his duties properly. Unlike the other Sternritter, Dreiter's abilities were not granted by a true Schrift, but were products of his own training and focus. He did not have the luxury to be swept up by battle and still battle at peak performance. Instead, he took repeated deep breaths as he made his way into the meeting room. Dreiter had merely hoped that he would be ready for any oncoming battles. ---- The sand gently parted beneath his zori as Genichiro made his way across the white desert of Heuco Mundo, his katana and wakizashi dancing at his waist with every step he took. He smiled as he approached the outer walls of the Wandenreich, having sensed fellow Quincy converge on the palace like ants returning to an anthill. His smile was ephemeral as he knew many were lost in the previous war, but he knew there wasn't any need to dwell in the past, only a need to push forward. Genichiro switched the orientation of the toothpick he had in his mouth, before rubbing the stubble that populated his chin. Having put on his straw hat, he moved along, not wanting to be late for the meeting. Something in the back of his mind knew a new war might occur, though honestly, he didn't mind. If there was anything he understood and knew well, it was battle and war, having been one of the few Quincy that saw the end of the last two wars. With that thought, scenes from the previous war flashed through his mind, reminding him of the very first Quincy war/ Genichiro remained silent, pondering his thoughts for what awaited his ally, the Sternritters, the Wandenreich, and even Hueco Mundo itself. He knew the peace between the Hollows and Quincy were significantly strained and the situation would likely escalate due to the actions of Asumu. Despite this, he didn't blame his fellow man for his actions, as he would of done the same given the situation. No honest person would let their own people be ambushed and killed if they could help it. His Zori tapped against the hard floors of the courtyard, his cloak fluttered as he descended the few steps that lay before him. Grabbing the sides of his cloak, he buttoned a few buttons as he approached the Royal Palace Hall, watching as various allies passed between the pillars before the entrance. Walking into the palace, he took his place among the vacant seats, waiting the words of his ruler. ---- The one who once ruled this gathering of Quincy, the sealed king , sat atop a throne when addressing his followers. But the woman who faced the star knights today, the current recognized leader of their kind, was not a Queen that sat on a throne but a warrior who led her followers to greater heights. Reinhild was that sort of Quincy. The last words spoken by the man she swore to follow, above even their King, were to preserve the future of their people by any means necessary. Taking those words to heart, she led the remnants of their army to the realm of Hollows, and after several years, they procured a permanent residence akin to the castle they once lived in. Here she stood before them, adorned in the armor and cape that was characteristic of her appearance, as her calm eyes gazed out toward the Sternritter gathered before her. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Sternritter. By now, I take it many of you have already learned of the recent conflict that took place between our own Godai-san and the Tres Pilares Arrancar, Tier Harribel. Though we have agreed to an armistice with the Soul Society, and have sought out a new home for ourselves in Hueco Mundo where our powers are at their greatest, our battle with the Arrancar continues even to this day. There had been signs of peace, as you all know. It had seemed as though we were beginning to respect one another enough to reluctantly share these lands, but the recent battle suggests otherwise. Therefore, I convened this council of our Sternritter so that we may discuss our movements going forward. If war really is impossible to avoid..." Among the other Sternritter, Asumu stood before Reinhild front and foremost, having been the one at the center of this recent ordeal. Now wearing a traditional Sternritter uniform, he was inwardly glad that Reinhild had decided not to open the meeting with a verbal lashing against him for what had transpired. He knew that she was generally very reasonable, but given the circumstances, he also felt that she was well within her right to be angry. "If I may, ma'am..." He started, bowing his head slightly as he spoke. "... Despite her being one of our enemies, I do not believe that Tier Harribel is the kind of woman to attack without at least some form of probable cause. She was attacking a group of Quincy, not out of malice but rather... revenge." His eyes glanced back up towards her as he finished his statement. "I could see it in her eyes. It's a look I know all too well." "Yes, well..." Reinhild responded, a look of solemn remembrance formed onto her face. "There can be no denying that we Quincy have committed terrible acts against the Arrancar here. Though we cannot ever embrace the Hollows fully, for fear of our own existence, the acts we have committed are based entirely upon disapprobation. There is no forgiving that... All the same, these were crimes of which our late king was responsible for, and he paid the price with his own life. As did many of our brethren. But beyond that, even if I were to consider that their vengeance is well-placed..." The Quincy empress tilted her head to the side, her eyes focused briefly upon the stain glass windows that adorned the meeting hall. "It does not excuse the possibility of their involvement in the absence of several Sternritter." She was, of course, speaking of the Sternritter who survived the war with the Shinigami; a group of Quincy females that were personally recovered by Reinhild herself under orders of the late Haschwalth. "In particular, these five have been missing for quite some time now. Last we heard, they were located in a certain country in the material world." It was here that Asumu realized that there were indeed five missing Sternritter from the assembly. Liltotto Lamperd, Meninas McAllon, Candice Catnipp, Giselle Gewelle, and Bambietta Basterbine were all absent. He had initially assumed that they were simply late to the meeting, but given the fact that they had been gone for quite a long time now, it was not entirely inaccurate to assume that they had played some role in recent events. This thought was reinforced by the fact that, of the Sternritter, these five were known for being the most unhinged. "You think they had a part to play in this?" He inquired. "It's hard to say." Reinhild answered, placing the knuckle of her curled finger to her chin in contemplation. "These Arrancar are not known for executing such tactics. Nevertheless, we can't just ignore the possibility." the empress pondered, before turning her sights on the other Sternritter gathered in the hall. "What say you, Sternritter? What course of action do you all suggest we take from here? Our highest priority, after all, is to preserve our peace at any cost. We must preserve our future." "They very well could have. Regardless of their involvement or not though, should we not prioritize locating them? While the lot of them, save perhaps Liltotto and Meninas, may be royal pains to deal with, they are still part of our own. We have strong members amongst our numbers; however, our numbers concern me when we are still in the land of a once more hostile enemy." Roland said as he faced the Queen after is question towards the Star Knights. "Having them return to the castle could help if these aggressions persist, be it by finding they are involved or purely by their presence helping stave off the beasts of this world." "Your ladyship...it is quite clear the Arrancar are at fault here; how else can five of the most powerful Sternritter disappear in the land of Hollows?" Leonardo replied with a stern voice. "Even if they aren't known to employ these devious tactics, there is the possibility there someone among them that can do so. As for that, it is imperative to preserve our peace and future." Leonardo briefly stopped to breathe. Then he looked the rest of the Sternritter and then to Reinhild. "We are Yhwach's Chosen and the Pillars of Wandenreich! Ridding the land of these Arrancar savages will preserve our and future so that we can finally rebuild what was once lost! They have no way to defeat us!" Leonardo said with a adamant tone. Cang Du had not intended to speak at the council, but Leonardo's suggestion caused him to audibly scoff. “Do you realize the implications of what you said, Mr. priest?” although his question was rhetorical. To rid Hueco Mundo of Arrancar would entail emptying the world itself of Hollows, and that would irrevocably shatter the cycle of souls. Unless a new Soul King was erected, driving the Hollows to extinction would simply lead to their own. “Despite what you might think about being “chosen” by his Majesty, fate—or “providence” or however you put it—is capricious. The Arrancar do have a way to defeat us: by drawing us out of the stronghold here in order to ambush us.” His voice was as even as steel. “That’s why, if those five you mentioned have been captured by the enemy, then so be it. They knew the consequences of operating on their own.” Even though Cang Du resented Reinhild’s authority and often did the very same thing as the “Bitch Squad” (as he had termed them) had done, he didn’t feel a shred of sympathy towards them. If they were weak enough to allow themselves to be captured, then they should have prepared themselves for death long ago, as inglorious as it may be. To send out a rescue squad would not only be futile, it would send a message to the Arrancar that they themselves were weak, and desperate to spare five errant members. Cang clicked his tongue in disdain. If the rest of the Sternritter were too blind to see the obvious, then there was no helping them. Initially, Mich had no say in this situation, but it wasn't like he had nothing to say. It was more like not letting the current discussion turn into something too personal for him, as the five Sternritter mentioned as well as Cang himself were a fragment of his past, a piece of living memory that took him back as far as when his comrades had still been alive. He thought the Quincy could avoid war, but now, he felt as though another war had reared its head out of the shadows to step into the light. If war was inevitable, then so be it, but as long as he could prevent it to save his brethren from diminishing, he would with whatever little might he had. “I second Cang's opinion on this,” Mich said, his lips pressed firmly against each other, a look of disgust clearly aimed at Leonardo rested upon his face. “Such actions would only aggravate the current situation, and if I remember correctly, Her Majesty stated that our highest priority at the moment is to preserve what little peace we have left.” “No, no, no no!” Abraham interjected, nodding his head side to side in disagreement with the options offered. “What the hell has gotten into you two, huh? Have you forgotten our mission? It isn’t to preserve peace?! It’s to preserve our race! All of us! We can’t sit here and watch as five of our own go missing, without at least taking a look around for them. It’s possible the Arrancar aren’t even responsible for something like this; perhaps it was the work of people far more…sinister.” Abraham paused briefly. “And if it does turn out to be them, allowing them to get away with kidnapping will only demonstrate to them that we will tolerate injustices for the sake of peace. It’ll only encourage future injustices. Besides, even if we do have to go to war, the Quincy have always been outnumbered. From the first war to the last. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it damn sure won’t be the last. What we have though, that no one has, is tenacity! For thousands of years, Soul Society has sough to wipe us from existence, yet we are still here,” Abraham continued. “If anything, I say our greatest strength is that we can take an ass whooping.” He pointed to Cang Du. "Especially you with that Iron thing you got going on." "I believe we need to attempt to locate them as swiftly as possible. Dispatching a small party of Quincy to the world of the living would be appropriate." Dreiter stated. However, in the presence of these Sternritter, who were technically superior in ability to him, he did not feel like he could say very much. "We cannot afford to remove any more of our Sternritter from our base in the case of war, so we will likely need to handpick strong soldiers among us to track down the vagrants. If their positions can be guaranteed, then we can secure a stronger force to bring them back immediately." Asumu took a few seconds before adding his two cents. To say that they would all have to act with caution regardless of their course of action was an understatement, for they were now just mere eggshells from going to war with their neighboring faction. "Regardless of whether they have gotten captured or defected, we can't afford to leave them be. If they've been captured, they can and very likely will give away valuable information to the Espada, and if they are simply running amok causing chaos, it will lead to nothing but trouble for both sides." He looked back up towards Reinhild. "They need to be brought back, dead or alive." “Eh,” Mich sounded off, nodding and seemingly agreeing to what Asumu just said. Clearing his throat, he turned his gaze to Abraham. “And don’t get me wrong, Abraham; the survival of our brethren is my main interest as well. While I remain neutral on whether or not we should come for those women, all I'm saying is if we didn't keep our part of the peace like we were supposed to, more of our ranks would diminish. Let me just remind you that not everyone is as powerful as we are. How does that bode for the tenacity you were just saying, eh?” Roland nodded. "Asumu adds a valuable point. Them leaking information could very well happen and hurt our holdings even more. I understand the fears that such a mission could hurt our treaties; however, we can use those among us more suited for covert operations to at least attempt staying out of the eyes of the other races. Especially those among us with access to the shadows to cloak ourselves or some other similar ability if in the form of a Schrift. Overall, I agree with Abraham. Protecting our current ranks is amongst our most important tasks and those women are part of that, whether we like it or not." Roland thought as he looked upon the other men in agreement with him. While he was somewhat thankful for Leonardo's comments in regards to seemingly agreeing with the idea of saving them, he had no value in the man's blind faith in Yhwach. While he respected all Mong him here, from the Schrift-less Dreiter to Cang Du of the older generation of Sternritter, he could not help but resent one who worshipped a being who threw all of their race aside in favor of himself. As such, he avoided even looking in the man's direction. "It's settled, then." Reinhild patiently listened to the thoughts of her fellow Sternritter, with there being a strong agreement among them in favor of pursuing the female Quincy that had gone missing. Taking a couple steps forward so that she was surrounded by her Quincy brethren on all sides, she turned to look at one side as well as the other, before once more addressing them. "It is important not to leave our fortress unguarded. And while I am confident in my capabilities, it is wise not to make a large-scale motion toward our neighboring faction. Therefore, it is prudent that those who shall move in pursuit of the Sternritter in question be few in number." she explained, before her wandering gaze set upon Asumu. "Godai-san, I leave the matter of pursuing the Quincy in your hands. Join with a handful of your brothers and sisters, and when you're prepared, move out via the sun gate." "We need a minimal force, fewer than what we have here currently." Asumu responded with a nod, looking back at his comrades with a serious expression. "I need at least four of you to join me, no more and no less. These five Sternritter may be brash and annoying, but they aren't stupid; we can't afford to underestimate them. At the same time, we can't send too many without making it look like we're moving against the Espada." Roland nodded in agreement. "As I was the first to voice the belief in rescuing them, I believe it would be cowardly and reflect poorly on me if I did not join this mission. As such, Asumu, I shall join you in this endeavor to save this team of Quincy." Roland said as he stood up and joined his Sternritter ally. "Rescue!?" Abraham exclaimed, stepping forward in excitement. "If old, Roland boy is going to go, then I guess I have too as well! Hahaha! Besides, I think it'll be tons of fun right? I mean, we'll get to go on an adventure, be some type of detective, maybe fight some bad guys! Right, Asumu-senpai?!" Turning his head towards Asumu, Genichiro smiled. "I too shall accompany you in this mission to find our fellow Quincy. While I may not like their attitudes, it is a lot quieter around here without them." Genichiro said as he stood up from his chair before joining the others. "I shall join as well, as the shepherd must go out and retrieve his lost flock, no matter how foolish and stubborn they are," Leonardo said with a disconcerting smile. "Siegrune is more than capable of watching over our congregation in my absence." Asumu gave a nod of approval to those who had volunteered to join him. He was well acquainted with both Roland and Abraham, and while he most certainly was not a fan of Leonardo or his Cult, he could at the very least appreciate his talents in the field. He wasn't terribly familiar with Genichiro, but his willingness to step up to the plate was good enough as far as Asumu was concerned. "I believe the best course of action would be to investigate the area where Harribel originated from. It's almost certain that this is where Lamperd and the others started their antics." He began, turning back to face Reinhild. "If we're quick, we can get there and gather what information we can before the Espada launch their own investigation. The longer these five Sternritter remain missing, the greater the chances of them causing more trouble." "Go then." Reinhild responded firmly, looking over both Asumu and the four men who would join him. "Find our missing comrades and bring them home, dead or alive. And most importantly..." Her gaze became one of slight, but genuine concern. "...come back safely, all of you." Act 1 "Ah geez~..." Standing amidst the endless desert, Giselle Gewelle gazed down at the average-sized, forked sword that had been impaled through his back and out of his chest with his usual, goofy expression. "Silly Bambi-chan; I guess she forgot that stuff like this doesn't really work on me. Oh well... I'll just have to find her and teach her a lesson... again." He finished as he reached back and pulled the sword out of his back, blood pouring from the gaping wound and onto the sand. "You know, if you would stop treating her like crap, she wouldn't do stuff like this." Liltotto Lampered commented, casually eating beignets from a paper bag as she addressed her comrade. "As far as I can tell, this has just been a long time coming for you. I'm surprised she didn't try to blow you up." Candice Catnipp, standing opposite of Liltotto, scratched the back of her head as she chimed in. "Besides, can't you just force her to come back or something? She's still under your control isn't she?" "Yeah, but..." Giselle responded, turning to face Candice as he shrugged. "...she's gotta be within a close enough radius for me to assert any control over her, and it feels like she's gotten quite a bit of distance between me and her right now." While the three of them conversed, Meninas McAllon simply stared out into the vast horizon, her eyes in particular focused on a rising plume of smoke that was at least four miles from where they were currently. "Does anyone else remember what we were doing before this...?" She asked, seemingly to no one in particular. "Eh?" Candice said, glancing over to her pink-haired friend. "How'd you forget so easily? We were just..." But as she spoke, her gaze steadily faced it's original direction once again, staring blankly as she too tried to recall their previous exploits. "...shit, what were we doing before now? Hell, I don't even remember coming back here to Hueco Mundo." "Me neither." Liltotto commented while chewing on another beignet. Looking down at the paper bag containing her sweets, she could see the logo of "Café du Monde" imprinted on it's sides. "We were obviously in the World of the Living at some point... but everything from then til' now is just blank." "Did we do that?" Meninas pointed towards the source of the rising smoke in the distance, causing her fellow Quincy to turn their attention towards it as well. The smoke plume was revealed to actually be several, smaller plumes of smoke all rising from different points in what appeared to be a settlement of some kind. "Why no, how the hell do you think we did that when we're all the way over..." Candice started to respond, but her eyes suddenly widened as she felt a presence behind them, a cold, looming presence that was also felt by her three comrades. Slowly, she turned her head to look over her right shoulder to see the source of this sudden arrival. "...here?" Just before she could lay eyes on the being, a bright pink aura abruptly started to wash over her and the other three girls, causing their pupils to dilate and their expressions to lower to the point of being utterly emotionless. Black, sun-shaped tattoos would quickly appear on each of their heads, concealed by either their officer hats or their hair. "Yes, you did do all of that." The being stated, his voice resonant and clear. "And I don't recall saying that you could stop either." ---- Asumu and his comrades arrived at the entrance to the now destroyed settlement. The area appeared to have been struck by several explosions, as well as numerous lightning bolts. Houses and buildings were scorched with burn marks, blasted into pieces of rubble, smashed into each other as if someone or something had lifted them up and threw them at each other, or most disturbingly, had entire bite-shaped holes torn into them. Fittingly accompanying such wanton destruction were the numerous corpses of the Arrancar inhabitants, their bodies all having the types of wounds that were shared by the houses and buildings that they had once occupied. Many of their bodies were littered throughout the ground, but some could also be seen hanging from the holes or windows of the destroyed buildings. Blood, fire, smoke and death. All of them were scents that Asumu had always tried to get used to over the course of his life, but time and time again, he would always be reminded that no matter how much he surrounded himself in death's company, he could never adjust himself to it's cold and unyielding presence. As he and the other four Sternritter made their way through the ruined settlement, he was able to see all the clear and obvious signs that the five Quincy they sought were responsible for this attack. He stopped and knelt down next to the corpse of an Arrancar, one that he could recognize from the previous Wandenreich's daten: Franceska Mila Rose. She had suffered several major concussive injuries, and appeared to have been dealt a fatal blow via Candice Catnipp's "Thunderbolt" ability. "This wasn't just a home..." Asumu said as he looked over Mila Rose's corpse. "It's a forward outpost. Las Noches isn't terribly far from here, and this woman was one of Harribel's most trusted Fracción." He sighed, thinking back on his battle with the Espada leader in question while looking over the sheer brutality of the destruction that surrounded them. "No wonder she was so angry..." He muttered lowly, mostly to himself. Leonardo walked around the scattered Arrancar corpses on the ground, ignoring the wanton destructed caused by his peers. He paid no mind to them, as he was well aware of what they were capable of as fellow Sternritter. "Pitiful Arrancar." He said to himself, as if he were lamenting. "It is unfortunate you were born to be a blight upon the world, a sad and hated existence by all." Roland looked around the new setting. He had known of the powers this group of women possessed, but that didn't change the impressiveness of it. "It truly is no wonder. This place faced the wrath of those Sternritter and they possess some truly amazing abilities." Roland said as he walked forward. Certain spots smelt of ozone, likely from the blasts of electricity. He looked upon another body with bite marks on it and for a mere moment, Roland thought of what Hollows must taste like. Probably horrid and not worth any further imagination. "Perhaps we can see if they left anything to indicate their path. Do they corpses line up in any particular pattern? Or perhaps you can smell which way they went, Asumu?" Roland asked as he looked back up. Genichiro gazed at his surroundings, inspecting the dead bodies from a distance as they littered the settlement like stray leaves blown by the wind. "Such carnage and ruthlessness. he said as he shook his head, looking at several half-eaten Arrancar corpses. Immediately in front of him was a small crater, surrounded by a blast mark. "That must of been some explosive..." Genichiro commented, before walking further a bit more, looking for clues as to his allies whereabouts. Asumu sniffed the air a brief couple of times, only to shake his head as he fully stood back up. "Too many other scents to be sure. I'll need some of their actual blood before I can start tracking them dependably." He sighed again as he noted once again just how many dead Arrancar there were. "And judging from how one-sided things appeared to have been here, that'll be easier said than done." Abraham looked onward at the scene, examining everything. He was unusually quiet as he inspected everything, and for a moment it was probable that he was actually thinking through stuff. But, in all of his analyzation, all Abraham came up with was an exasperated sigh as he folded his arms across his chest. "How dare they fight without us! After all we've done for them? They just go on and fight without inviting us?! Without inviting me!?" Abraham complained, looking at Roland and Asumu. "Without me?! I can fight! It's like the only thing I can actually do." He shook his head in disappointment. "I can't believe this. They went and started a war and didn't even let me help." "Calm yourself Abraham! The time for war will surely come but now is not the time to lament. We need find these foolish girls and retrieve them at once for her majesty!" Leonardo interjected, placing a hand on Abraham's shoulder. "Their tracks lead elsewhere, but don't you think there is a high possibility they're engaged in combat elsewhere? A battle where both of us can intervene??" He asked with a seemingly knowing smile. "No." Asumu responded to Leonardo, calmly but sharply as he hated having to address the cultist. "If they were fighting any farther from here, they would be practically knocking on Las Noches' front door." There was a slight tinge of irritation in Asumu's expression as he continued to scan their surrounding environment. His comrades attitudes had served to remind him that he was one of only a handful of Quincy who actually had any sort of respect for their Hollowfied neighbors. Standing here among all of these dead Arrancar not only filled him with a sense of remorse, but also anger. The Arrancar had done nothing to provoke such an attack, and now here they were now mere egg shells from all out war. The question now was why? As he continued looking, something in particular caught his eye; a small pool of blood on the ground that stood out from all the others. To his fellow Quincy, this blood pool would look like any other, but to Asumu and his kin, all blood was unique, in both look, feel, and most importantly, smell. He knelt down next to the pool, allowing him to get a better scent, and he recoiled slightly upon getting a good whiff. "It's Giselle's." He said with an audible bit of revulsion. Among all of the other Sternritter, none drew Asumu's ire more than that of Giselle Gewelle's; he hoped that they could find the latter's corpse among all the others. "Something's off about it though..." "What could be so off about his blood?" Leonardo asked. "Well..." Asumu started, continuing to keep his attention focused on the blood. "Giselle normally splatters his blood against Arrancar to take control of them, so it's unusual for him to just let it pool here like this, unless..." He stopped as he looked at the blood more closely, seeing that it contained small traces of Spiritual energy only perceptible to his Lycanthrope eyes. "...someone stabbed him from behind... and it looks like Bambietta Basterbine did just that." "Internal strife? Impossible! Giselle's Schrift should command absolute obedience from the resurrected Bambietta." Leonardo retorted to Asumu. "Unless someone has just as good of an ability at controlling others as Giselle does..." Genichiro added, walking up to Asumu. "Asumu, how fresh is his blood?" he asked, while looking in the general direction the trail of blood was going in. "Preposterous! Giselle's abilities should be absolute; His majesty personally blessed her with his divine power!" Leonardo adamantly said. "Nothing should be able overcome the power of God." He silently thought to himself.